Magnetic Quantum Number
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Magnetic Quantum Number
Can anyone explain what the Magnetic Quantum Number (ml) is and how you figure out what values it can be? I don't understand how to apply l, l-1,...-l. Thanks!
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Re: Magnetic Quantum Number
The magnetic quantum number refers to the different orbitals of a sub-shell (for example, the px , py , and pz orbitals). It is different from the angular momentum quantum number (l) that only describes whether it's s, p, d, or f.
ml can take on the positive and negative values of l. For example, if l is 1 (the p-orbital), then ml can be -1, 0, or 1. These three possible options for ml refer to the three different orientations of the p orbitals. And if l is 2 (the d-orbital), then ml can be -2, -1, 0, 1, or 2. These five possible options describe all the different d orbital orientations.
ml can take on the positive and negative values of l. For example, if l is 1 (the p-orbital), then ml can be -1, 0, or 1. These three possible options for ml refer to the three different orientations of the p orbitals. And if l is 2 (the d-orbital), then ml can be -2, -1, 0, 1, or 2. These five possible options describe all the different d orbital orientations.
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Re: Magnetic Quantum Number
Catherine Yang 3G wrote:The magnetic quantum number refers to the different orbitals of a sub-shell (for example, the px , py , and pz orbitals). It is different from the angular momentum quantum number (l) that only describes whether it's s, p, d, or f.
ml can take on the positive and negative values of l. For example, if l is 1 (the p-orbital), then ml can be -1, 0, or 1. These three possible options for ml refer to the three different orientations of the p orbitals. And if l is 2 (the d-orbital), then ml can be -2, -1, 0, 1, or 2. These five possible options describe all the different d orbital orientations.
Do the ml values correspond to a specific orientation? Like do px orbitals correspond to ml=-1 for example? Thanks!
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Re: Magnetic Quantum Number
Catherine Yang 3G wrote:
Do the ml values correspond to a specific orientation? Like do px orbitals correspond to ml=-1 for example? Thanks!
Yes I'm pretty sure that the ml values correspond to a specific orientation, but I'm also pretty sure that we won't need to know the content that specifically :)
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Re: Magnetic Quantum Number
I think that Dr. Lavelle mentioned that the values of ml don't correspond with any specific orientation because it's arbitrary which number to assign to which orbital. The values of ml are especially complicated with the five d orbitals.
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